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GeekNights Monday - Electricity

MrPeriodMrPeriod
in GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym having realized just how many circuits the apartment has (and having no better excuse to banter for a while), we talk a vaguely about electricity (in the thick wire sense). Don't use cheap USB chargers. In the news, Amazon buys Twitch, and the Great Linux Divide is growing greater.

The official PAX Prime GeekNights Meetup will be right after our panel - Why no one will Game with You - in the Sandworm Theatre.

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  • ColdguyColdguy
  • Josh BytesJosh Bytes
  • ApsupApsup
    First I laughed at those Ice Challenge Fails, but then I realized how heavy water is and how big some of those containers were and it wasn't so funny anymore.
  • ColdguyColdguy
    I think I found a "fail" that turned into an awesome sight.

    Paul Heyman in The Ice Bucket Challenge Edition o…:
  • ChurbaChurba
    Josh Bytes said:

    image
  • MATATATMATATAT
    I literally lol'd
  • MattMatt
    I got all the way to work and there was no discussion of electricity. I contend that this discussion therefore did not happen.
  • ColdguyColdguy
    Its funny because right now vimeo ONLY uses amazon technologies for video hosting and could easily do what Scott is describing in an instant.
  • MattMatt
    Amazon should just buy all of IAC, not just Vimeo. They own all the major dating sites. Think how much easier it would be to find a mate if you could filter to view only people who are smart enough to be Amazon Prime members?
  • AprecheApreche
    Burger King bought Tim Horton's for $11 Billion. That means Tim Hortons is worth as much as 11 Twitch.tvs.
  • Josh BytesJosh Bytes
    At last can realize my dream of ordering a whopper and washing it down with a double double.
  • ColdguyColdguy
    Apreche said:

    Burger King bought Tim Horton's for $11 Billion. That means Tim Hortons is worth as much as 11 Twitch.tvs.

    Actually it is 11 Instagrams and 10.78 Twitches.
  • MattMatt
    Given that Tim Hortons has over 5,000 locations, I would assume that just the commercial real estate they likely own is worth as much as Twitch. That is to say, you could burn down all of the Tim Hortons in the world, and the dirt underneath those smoldering mounds would be worth approximately 1 Twitch.
  • ChurbaChurba
    The taste of Tim Hortons drip coffee would also not be adversely affected by this.
  • IkatonoIkatono
    I feel like you talked more about Rym knowing about electricity than you did about electricity.
  • AprecheApreche
    Ikatono said:

    I feel like you talked more about Rym knowing about electricity than you did about electricity.

    It was all Rym's idea.

    Send your Monday show ideas to geeknights@frontrowcrew.com.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    Is the mega-thread no good any more?
  • BrandBrand
    Yeah, I bought a home a couple of years ago and the electricity in the house is more of a mess then I though. The house is from 1911-ish, but it had a breaker box. So, I thought I was good. I had looked at homes that still seriously had fuses. But it does turn out to be more of mess then I thought. Part of it was I had grown up in home built in the late 80s. So, the whole two prong ungrounded outlets were new to me. I didn't know you could have a breaker box and still have ungrounded electric. My friend's Father has come over to do some work on my house. I had him rewire a light fixture for me, but even he was mystified by whatever is going on in my walls. Eventually, I'd like him to rewire the whole place but that is going to be a big undertaking.

    The best though was the first summer after I moved in. I had a roommate, and I was able to get a free window AC unit (a rather large one at that). Well, turns out we couldn't run the TV, my computer, and the AC at the same time. I'd come home from work and turn on my computer boom all the lights turn off and none of the outlet upstairs or downstairs works. Turns out all the ceiling fixtures and all of the outlets in the house are on the same breaker.

    I ended up buying another breaker on ebay and having a friend's Step-Dad install that in the last empty spot in the breaker box. Then he ran a line right up under the AC unit. So, the AC is the only thing on that breaker.

    If I ever end up buying another house I think I'll be buying something post 1970s.
  • Totally GuyTotally Guy
    Soddering? You guys ever sodder your parts in your labtops. :p
  • CremlianCremlian
    Yea old houses can be really awesome but they always contain unknown money pit issues.
  • MATATATMATATAT
    edited September 2014
    I don't know why this is fucking up when I try to post it.
    Post edited by MATATAT on
  • MattMatt
    I forgot to comment on this episode when I listened to it, but yeah, I was thinking about soldering for a good 5 seconds before Rym blurted it out. I've done a fair bit of soldering in my day, in and out of work. There's a surprising amount of depth to the topic if you are prepared to go into professional techniques and equipment.

    I've actually been teaching a soldering class at a local maker space. My library, which is walking distance from my house, renovated a big space, got a $10k grant to buy some equipment, etc., so I've been volunteering there to help make the project a success.
  • Punt RocketPunt Rocket
    I've been looking at apartments and I've had some conflicting advice. Some people have told me Knob and Tube wiring is okay, and others say it is awful and I should avoid it at all costs. Can anyone point me towards a real answer?
  • RymRym
    Punt Rocket said:

    I've been looking at apartments and I've had some conflicting advice. Some people have told me Knob and Tube wiring is okay, and others say it is awful and I should avoid it at all costs. Can anyone point me towards a real answer?

    You're kidding, right? Knob & tube is something you literally only see in ancient "I will burn down one day" houses.

    It means a house has:

    1. Ancient wiring
    2. Few outlets
    3. Fire potential
    4. Low total electrical capacity

    It's dangerous as shit.
  • MattMatt
    Stay the fuck away from that. Jesus christ.

    Also, don't consider living in a place without grounded outlets (3-prong).
  • CremlianCremlian
    Who would tell you that is was okay?
  • Dragonmaster LouDragonmaster Lou
    Stupid electricity mistake I made a while back: I was replacing some smoke detectors in my home. These are the kind that use line voltage, just like your outlets/lights/etc., in addition to a battery backup. I thought I had killed power to the entire floor at the breaker before disconnecting the detector. What I didn't know was the the detectors were apparently on a different circuit than the rest of the floor (and one that wasn't obviously labeled in the breaker), although in retrospect it would make sense. Anyway, I got a shock, but fortunately it was just mildly painful instead of "OMG call 911." I ended up killing power to the entire house before changing them just to be safe.
  • johndisjohndis
    A lighting designer told me once not to coil excess cable on the lighting pipe cause it would create an electromagnet haha
  • MATATATMATATAT
    edited September 2014
    Just for funsies?

    EDIT: Oops I thought you said they DID tell you to do that.
    Post edited by MATATAT on
  • Punt RocketPunt Rocket
    Cremlian said:

    Who would tell you that is was okay?

    Oddly enough, someone who works in construction. They told me that Knob and Tube is only bad wiring because its usually very old and degraded. Implying that someone could have a more modern installation of it I guess? I wont be asking them anything now.

    Also, where I live has a lot of old houses that were converted into apartments. I've only seen Knob and Tube in one place so far, but they changed all the outlets to 3-prong. Its scary to think how many places have covered up problems.
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